2 Kings 17: Group Study Handout

How to use: read 2 Kings 17 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Hoshea, the son of Elah, began to reign in Samaria over Israel, doing evil in Yahweh’s sight (vv. 1-2). Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, besieged Samaria after Hoshea conspired with Egypt and stopped paying tribute (vv.

Key verse

“It was so because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,”
2 Kings 17:7 (WEB)

Outline

2 Kings 17:1–2 Hoshea's Reign and Sins
2 Kings 17:3–4 Assyria's Conquest Begins
2 Kings 17:5–6 Fall of Samaria
2 Kings 17:7–12 Israel's Sins Against God
2 Kings 17:13–15 God’s Warnings Ignored
2 Kings 17:16–23 Judgment on Israel
2 Kings 17:24–41 Foreigners in Samaria

Discussion questions

In v6, what happens to Samaria during the ninth year of Hoshea's reign?
What does Yahweh testify to Israel and Judah in v13?
In v20, why does Yahweh reject all the offspring of Israel?
In v34, what does it mean that they do not follow Yahweh's statutes?
When have you seen consequences of ignoring a warning in your own life?

Go deeper

Passages that echo 2 Kings 17: 2 Kings 18, Matthew 6, 1 Kings 12.

Before next time: read 2 Kings 18.